In a halogenoalkane (haloalkane or alkyl halide) a halogen atom (fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine) is bonded to an alkyl group by means of a single C-X bond.
They are named as substituted alkanes …
And if there is more than one halogen in the molecule …
Halogenoalkanes are commonly used intermediates in organic synthesis. Halogens are more electronegative than carbon which means that these molecules have a polar C-X bond – this makes the molecules more reactive (and useful) than alkanes.
If you are completely new to organic chemistry, then I strongly suggest you start by getting your head around the terminology first!
The following posts are a complete guide to understanding the reactions and reaction mechanisms of halogenoalkanes …
Nucleophilic substitution in halogenoalkanes
An introduction to the nucleophilic substitution mechanism …
Explaining reactivity of halogenoalkanes
- what difference does the halogen make?
- why do tertiary halogenoalkanes react via the SN1 mechanism?
Elimination reactions in halogenoalkanes
Understanding the difference between an E1 and E2 mechanism …
How to prepare a halogenoalkane
There are number of ways to make a halogenoalkane, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages.
In this post we look at halogenation of an alcohol …